July 4, 2025: It’s been 30 years since the soft-spoken painter with the permed hair and peaceful presence, Bob Ross, passed away — but his calming voice, “happy little trees,” and love for life’s small joys still echo across generations.
Ross, the beloved host of The Joy of Painting, died on July 4, 1995, at just 52 years old due to complications from lymphoma. A lifelong smoker, Ross had been quietly battling the illness for years, continuing to film episodes even after his diagnosis. His final show aired on May 17, 1994, over a year before his death in Orlando, Florida.
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The public reaction was heartfelt. Artists, fans, and celebrities alike mourned the loss. Singer Lady Kier told PEOPLE in 1995, “He combined television with hypnosis and craft… His nice little clouds were my favorites.”
Behind the serenity of his canvas, however, Ross was embroiled in a bitter legal battle with his business partners, Annette and Walt Kowalski, who co-founded Bob Ross Inc. alongside Bob and his late wife Jane in 1985. When Jane died of cancer in 1992, her shares were split, leaving Ross a minority owner in the company that bore his name.
Before his death, Ross attempted to pass the rights to his name and image to his son Steve Ross and half-brother Jimmie Cox. But after legal pushback and a settlement, the Kowalskis gained full control of the company. Steve later fought to reclaim those rights, but ultimately lost the case — a story revealed in the eye-opening 2021 Netflix documentary Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed.
The documentary sparked fresh debate about Ross’s legacy and the business built around his name — one he never lived to fully protect.
Yet, three decades later, Bob Ross remains an icon. His show streams freely on YouTube, his face adorns T-shirts, and his name pops up in unexpected places — from Deadpool parodies to the 2023 film Paint, in which Owen Wilson plays a Ross-inspired painter facing an identity crisis.
Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, Ross’s philosophy lives on: art is for everyone, mistakes are just “happy accidents,” and sometimes, all it takes is a little paint to create your own peaceful world.